Audio Review:
The audio review for this game is available on Episode 583 of the podcast at 36:28.

Gameplay:Forgotton Anne imagines a magical place where everyday items end up when they’ve been forgotten. Once these armchairs, pillows, socks, and things, end up in The Forgotten Lands they become sentient, destined to live out their lives in a twisted dystopian Ghibli dream.

You play as Anne, an enforcer with the power to distill (essentially destroy) the forgotlings. Anne and her master, Bonku, are trying to build a bridge back to the human world but a rebellion is brewing and it kicks off with an explosion at the factory soon after the start of the game.

Platforming and light puzzle elements make up the bulk of the game but the story is what drives everything forward. When interacting with forgotlings you’re given dialogue choices which can affect the story as you move forward. You’ll even have to make a number of choices which can have real consequences down the line.

Anne eventually gets her metal wings back and can fly for a short period of time which actually makes the platforming a bit harder overall. Flipping switches and scrambling across high platforms while trying to stick a landing can be frustratingly difficult but fortunately those specific issues tend to be rare.

The puzzle elements aren’t terribly difficult, but objects you need to interact with aren’t always obvious and some blend into the background. Most of the time you’ll be looking for Anima to power up switches so you can reach hidden clues, unlock doors, or simply move forward in the world.

The rest of the time you’re trying to piece together the mystery behind the leaders of the rebellion and figure out their ultimate goals. It’s a good story with an interesting moral component that I wasn’t entirely prepared for, but it’s better for having it.

Visuals:
Just look at the pictures here. Forgotton Anne is an absolutely gorgeous game and very much like a Studio Ghibli movie come to life. The dreary Forgotten Lands feel old and worn down and have a surprising depth to them, in the literal sense. In some areas, you’ll need to reach something deeper in the background so you’ll need to find a way back there.

Specific interiors are warm and inviting and the beautiful hand drawn animation brings every forgotling to life in a magical way. The imaginative renderings of everyday objects into sentient creatures is really captivating and it helps hold everything together.

Audio:
This is an area where everything could have gone horribly wrong but fortunately, the voice acting is superb. Anne and Bonku are easier since they seem to be the only two humans in this world, but how do you voice a sentient scarf, pillow, or sock?

Every voice feels right for the character it’s meant to portray which is a great accomplishment in and of itself. It’s fun to just listen to the conversations between the forgotlings since a lot of thought was put into the dialogue and the performances capture that.

The music is also wonderful with a mix of strings, piano, and a full orchestra that really sets the mood. In my opinion, the soundtrack is well worth picking up.

Online/Multiplayer:
This game is one player only with no online component.

Conclusion:Forgotton Anne blends together a good mix of mystery, adventure, action, and platforming all wrapped in a gorgeous package. Some of the puzzle and platforming elements can be frustrating, but those instances are few and far between.

The overall game is a nice surprise and it’s well worth a go if you’re into this type of experience.

Score:

* All screenshots used in this review were taken directly from the game using the Share functionality on the PlayStation 4.

Josh has been gaming since 1977 starting with the Atari 2600.
He currently owns 26 different consoles and 6 different handhelds (all hooked up and in working condition) including all consoles from the current generation.

Josh is currently the US PR & Marketing Manager for Fountain Digital Labs and has recused himself from any involvement on PS Nation arising from posting or editing any news or reviews stemming from FDL.